Player of the Year watch: Gainesville's Watson opens season at head of pack

ATLANTA — The Top 10 each week will be based on this question: What are the chances that this player will be the all-classification player of the year?

The POY Top 10 is more about a player’s impact on his team and the state as a whole.

Players of the year are more likely to be quarterbacks and running backs then offensive linemen. They are more likely to play on state-contending teams. These rankings reflect that.

The POY Watch is designed to be a fun look at some of the best players.

1. QB Deshaun Watson, Gainesville: Watson is the state's all-time leading passer for yardage, the 2012 Georgia Sports Writers all-class player of the year and the marquee player for a No. 1-ranked team that is defending its state title.

2. DE Lorenzo Carter, Norcross: Carter is the consensus No. 1 recruit in the state and plays for a defending state championship team that is the running for a national title.

3. RB Nick Chubb, Cedartown: Chubb's 2,721 yards rushing in 2012 are a state record for the regular season, but he'll need playoff games to set the full-season record and probably to become Georgia's all-class player of the year. Cedartown was 6-4 last season.

4. LB Korie Rogers, Buford: Rogers is the best player for a No. 1-ranked team that is defending its title in Class AAA. He was the AAA defensive player of the year in 2012 and has committed to Clemson.

5. WR Demarre Kitt, Sandy Creek: Kitt is the state's best receiver, according to most recruiting analysts, and plays for a No. 1-ranked defending state champion. He had more than 1,000 yards receiving last season.

6. QB Cole Garvin, Sandy Creek: Garvin passed for more than 2,700 yards last season for the AAAA champions. He has committed to Marshall.

7. QB Tyler Queen, North Cobb: Queen passed for 2,607 yards and rushed for 925 and accounted for 43 touchdowns for a Class AAAAAA semifinal team in 2012. He's the only junior in the POY Watch.

8. QB Donquell Green, Burke County: Green passed for 1,399 yards and rushed for 1,827 and scored 32 touchdowns in 2012 for an 11-2 team that lost to eventual AAAA champion Sandy Creek in the quarterfinals.

9. QB Malkom Parrish, Brooks County: A regular member of the 2012 POW Watch, Parrish is an AJC Super 11 player with 3,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing last season. Brooks County starts at No. 5 in Class AA.

10. LB Raekwon McMillan, Liberty County: The consensus No. 2 college prospect in Georgia made the AJC's Super 11 team, but he has never played in a state playoff game. Liberty County was 6-4 in 2012.

Ten best of the rest (alphabetical):

QB Brooks Barden, Cartersville

CB/RB Kalvaraz Bessent, Camden County

QB Adam Choice, Thomas County Central

RB Jeremiah Kirkland, Lovejoy

RB Dallas Rivers, Stephenson

HB/CB Nick Ruffin, St. Pius

QB Charles Stafford, Monroe

QB Stanton Truitt, Monroe Area

DB/WR Kendarius Webster, Stockbridge

RB Stanley Williams, George Walton Academy

Produced by Georgia High School Football Daily, a free e-mail newsletter. To join the mailing list, click here.

WSBTV